Burnsville set to approve Fairview hospital plans

Fairview's plan to expand its Burnsville hospital and build a medical office building, parking ramp and skyway on its Ridges Campus at 201 E. Nicollet Blvd. is set to be approved by the City Council this week.

At the same time, the council is expected to OK a companion parking lot expansion at the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church across Nicollet.

Fairview employees park in the church parking lot now. The lot will grow from 254 to 430 stalls to accommodate more Fairview demand. The expansion will take out 28 trees and 40 will be planted in their place. Fairview is required to spend at least $176,640 for tree replacement.

Two crosswalks will be installed between the church and the medical campus, both with lights in the pavement and a flashing beacon on either side of the road and in the median.

Construction on the 150,000-square-foot expansion is to start this spring and conclude in 2014.

The mayor of a traditionally liberal Wisconsin city has ordered the removal of a cemetery's monuments to Confederate soldiers, saying the Civil War was "a defense of the deplorable practice of slavery" and "an act of insurrection and treason."